The Scarlet Letter: The Book Versus the Movie Demi Moore's portrayal of Hester in the film The Scarlet Letter proved her worth as a feminist actress, which led her to other, more modern female empowerment roles ranging from Striptease to GI Jane. But in the filmmakers' attempt to give the story what they might think is a somewhat modern flavor, they have barbarously misunderstood the theme, and therefore the importance, of a timeless story. In the novel, there is no doubt that Hester is a strong person, but the film saw her as a martyr for women's rights. The film's theme of female empowerment also inevitably led to the characterization of Christians and their ethics as tyrannical and oppressive because the feminist perspective of Christianity is exactly that. However, the novel fully agreed with Christianity and its conception of sin, while questioning the nature and relationship between sin and humanity. The character of the two main characters in terms of gender was strangely reversed in the film, which was clearly done to appeal to feminist audiences. The film added countless scenes to demonstrate that Hester was as capable as any man at running a household, especially in the first half of the film. In the novel, she lived alone and supported herself and her son. But this is to affirm his strength as an individual. Instead of questioning her individuality, the film highlighted her strength as a woman. In three separate scenes, another character questioned her ability as a woman to do manly things, and in all three she responded by demonstrating that she could. The first was at the Governor's table, where she stated that she would find a place of her own and live alone. The second... half of the paper... of being human and of perfection is unattainable, hence the faith and hope that God will save that Christian only through grace. The film on the other hand is a constant bombardment of one-sided criticism based on what non-Christian critics believe to be Christian ethics. To these critics I offer this definition of Christian: it means "like Christ." If they were well-versed in Chris's actions and teachings, they would know that most of the supposed Christian ethics in the film weren't Christian at all. He didn't treat anyone like an outcast. He never persecuted anyone because of who that person's mother, father, or people were. And he was never vindictive. The film represented the normal, ignorant criticism of Christians by feminists in today's films. Works Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York: The Modern Library, 2000.